FEATURE
GUIUAN: Gateway to Pacific Adventure
Guiuan, Eastern Samar is located
at the southernmost tip of the third
largest island (Samar) in the Philippine
archipelago. It is where Calicoan Island
lays, also known as the “Surfer’s
Paradise”.
With its rugged landscape,
tropical
forests,
wonderful
lagoons,
breathtaking white beaches, crystal clear
water, and magnificent sunlight, Calicoan
is a must see for the nature lover,
adventurous
traveler,
deep-sea
fisherman, and intrepid surfer.
History
Guiuan is widely known for two significant events in history 423 years
apart. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan first set foot on Philippine soil in Homonhon on his
way to discover the Philippines for the Western World. In 1944, the American Forces
landed on the island of Suluan where they fought their first battle in the Philippine
territory three days before Gen. Mac Arthur stormed the beaches of Leyte.
The name of the town originated from its geographical location. The first settlers
named the town “Guibang” when they discovered a sharp brake in the mountain range
(Tenigbang – part chiseled off) which screens the town from the Pacific Ocean in the
East. Subsequently, settlers modified its name to Guiuan.
The occurrence of World War II shook the town and people moved to the mountains to
find comfort. In June 28, 1943, several Japanese soldiers set foot on Guiuan soil. Not
as fearful and brutal as they were thought of by the local populace, a cordial relation
soon existed between the conquered and the conquerors. Evacuees came down from
the mountains and resumed a normal urban life.
Except for a few killings of suspected traitors by both Japanese and guerillas, not a
drop of blood was shed needlessly. This made Guiuan one of the few places in the
islands where World War II did not leave so many tragic memories.
The first sign of liberation of the town came on November 27, 1944 when a US Navy
submarine chaser steamed the harbor for reconnaissance duty. On December 1, 1944
a fleet of LCTs, Liberty ships and barges poured into the Guiuan Bay to unload
machines that was to transform Guiuan into one of the biggest Naval Base in the Far
East that time.
Many years after the American Liberation, Guiuan has slowly progressed from a sleepy
town to a bustling municipality.
On November 10, 1978, Proclamation No. 1801 was issued declaring Guiuan, Eastern
Samar as a Tourist Zone and Marine Reserve under the administration and control of
the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).
Geography
The municipality of Guiuan is located at
the southernmost tip of Samar Island. It is bounded on
the north by the municipality of Mercedes, on the east
by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Surigao Strait,
and on the west by the Leyte Gulf.
Clustered around the municipality are numerous islands
and islets, like Tubabao, Calicoan, Sulangan, Homonhon
and Suluan.
Guiuan is 109 kilometers south of Borongan and 154
kilometers from Tacloban. It has a total land area of
175.49 square kilometers. It is composed of sixty (60)
barangays and the only town in the province with
biggest number of island barangays.
Demography
Guiuan recorded a total population of 38,694 in 2000, the second
largest population in Eastern Samar with the highest population density of 220 persons
per sq. km. among the twenty-three (23) municipalities. Majority or 97.7% of the
Guiuananons speak the "Waray" dialect. Less than 3.0% speak Cebuano, Tagalog and
Boholano. A large percentage though can converse in the English language.
Socio-Economic Activities
Being a fishing community and the only municipality
with the most number of island barangays, the town is rich in fishery and aquatic
resources. It is considered by the fisheries authorities as the best fishing belt in the
region.
The coastal waters offer almost all species
of
marine
life:
euchuema,
abalone,
ornamental fish, lobster and the Golden
Cowry (known for its extraordinary golden
sheen). They also offer delicacies, shell
craft products as well as fresh and
processed marine products.
Existing land use indicates a predominance
of agriculture use which covers 38.2% of
the total land area. Most of the agricultural
lands are dominantly planted with coconut
trees.
Other major crops include vegetables, rootcrops, palay, corn, banana and other fruit
trees, coffee and pineapple.
The municipality is likewise rich in mineral resources. It has an estimated mineral
reserve of bauxite, nickel and titaferous magnitie of more than 26.7 million metric
tons.
Facilities
Guiuan’s airport has a 2.8 km. runway which could service light private
planes, chartered cargo and military planes.
It also has a municipal and national seaport operational throughout the year.
Telephone companies operating in the municipality includes TELECOM, Globelines and
Bayantel. Smart and Globe cellular phone companies are also operational.
In 2004, Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO) was able to energize Guiuan,
Calicoan Island up to Sulangan covering 37 out of 60 barangays. Island barangays are
served with electricity through generator sets either privately-owned or operated by
the barangay council.
Financial Resources Guiuan is classified as fourth income class municipality. In
2003, its Total Financial Resources amounted to 33.5 million pesos. Its Internal
Revenue Allotment (IRA) represents 96.1% of its total financial resources.
Adventure Spot
Calicoan Island boasts of miles of white sand beaches. With
powerful swells rolling in from the Pacific over the 10,000 meters Philippine Deep,
Calicoan is a surfer's paradise. The season for the best waves is generally from October
to March.
In the middle of the island are six lagoons
ringed by forest, the largest being 30
hectares in size.
At the cliffside margin of Calicoan's forests
are dozens of caves.
On the northern tip of Calicoan are
wetlands like the Everglades, teeming with
fish, shrimp, and crabs.
The rich diversity of the area is evident when one sees the exotic species being sold.
The surrounding waters support several marine based industries such as fish, seaweed,
and pearl farming.
Getting There
Calicoan island is readily accessible by land, sea and air. Chartered
flights can land in Guiuan's airport, a 5 minute drive from Calicoan. The nearby
regional capital of Tacloban is only two to three hours away. Several buses and vans on
regular schedules shuttle passengers to Guiuan via a scenic two-lane coastal highway
which runs past mountains, steep cliffs, distant rock islands and boat-filled bays.
Tacloban is regularly serviced by scheduled flights from Manila. Alternatively, several
bus companies have daily trips to Guiuan from Manila. Travel time is approximately
twenty-one hours.
Calicoan Island is envisioned to become the surfing capital and a top tourist destination
in Eastern Visayas.
References:
2003 Socio-Economic Profile of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, LGU-Guiuan
Feasibility Study for Guiuan Nature Tourism Destination, LCCI
CIF Eastern Samar: First Edition 2004, NSCB
Websites:
elgu.ncc.gov.ph
globalpinoy.com
easternsamar.de
calicoanisland.com